Brunei (Commonwealth Union)_ According to His Majesty, Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have commonalities in history, religion, community, and language, which has fostered a deep and enduring bond between the royal family, the government, and the overall population. According to the Sultan, the challenges posed by COVID-19 have deepened these familial ties and enabled both nations to enter the recovery phase with the focus of improving collaboration between the two countries.
This was stated by His Majesty in a titah at the official luncheon held in connection with the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and wife Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Dr Wan Ismail to Brunei. His Majesty appreciated cooperative actions towards rejuvenating economic growth in different domains, including the signing of the agreement in the investment sector. An MOU was signed between the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA).
His Majesty also highlighted the significance of the Annual Leaders’ Consultation as the primary mechanism for improving bilateral cooperation and developing future directions, as well as ensuring the continued commitment of both the nations to implement the “Exchange of Letters” agreed upon by both countries over a decade ago. During the formal luncheon, His Majesty also extended his wishes to Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim over his appointment as Prime Minister of Malaysia and expressed optimism that Dato’ Seri’s vision of “Developing Malaysia Madani” will result in enduring growth and prosperity for the Malaysian people.
According to His Majesty, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) play a key role in sustaining regional peace and stability. Hence, the concept of “ASEAN Centrality” should continuously be highlighted. In this regard, His Majesty expressed optimism that Malaysia’s leadership as the “Permanent Shepherd” in developing the “ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision” will ensure the organization’s continued relevance in the region. Concluding the titah, His Majesty prayed that Allah the Almighty would continue to bless and elevate the friendship between the leaders and the countries. The ceremonial luncheon was held at Baitur Rahmah, Istana Nurul Iman. Members of the royal family and the Malaysian delegation also attended the event.
In the meantime, during a speech, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed delight over the long-standing relationship between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia, and also lauded the contribution of the Malay Islamic Sultanate to the development of bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia. The Malaysian Prime Minister applauded the continuous expansion of bilateral economic and investment cooperation and highlighted the significance of maintaining the integrity of the special relationship and commitment to the implementation of any agreement. Concluding his address, the Malaysian Prime Minister requested His Majesty to pay a visit to Malaysia.
At the end of his Brunei visit, the Malaysian PM said, “When two country leaders have a very strong friendship…and have plans for both countries…they can always check the progress, and the implementation will be expedited. His Majesty has been watching and following our development (in Malaysia). Friendship is important, and ours has been good and…kind of personal. Whenever I’m in distress, His Majesty always shows concern”. He added, “I can feel something special there. His Majesty also knows that our strong personal and family ties will help strengthen the bilateral ties between our two countries”.
The PM continued, “These are for the people. The businesses, the investments are important. His Majesty wants the cooperation with BIA to be expedited so that we can explore more opportunities for investments. His Majesty also emphasizes the possibility of expediting issues related to oil exploration, involving Petronas if necessary, for the areas to be made by the Joint Development Authority”.
